


Gabriel Reyes’s Third Worst Vacation

by notquiteaphoenix



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Established Relationship, M/M, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Pre-Fall of Overwatch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-28 00:53:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13892796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notquiteaphoenix/pseuds/notquiteaphoenix
Summary: There are many quirks Gabriel has come to accept—cherish, even—after finding out Jack isn’t completely human.Vacations in Antarctica are not among those things.





	Gabriel Reyes’s Third Worst Vacation

Less than an hour since they officially arrived “in” the Antarctic (or, really, in a lane through the ice shelf to the new Ecopoint) and this frozen expanse has quickly become Gabriel’s least favorite place on earth. The pale expanse of sky above blindingly white ice and the creepy blue of the icy water always look pretty on postcards but _here_ , in reality, the view emphasizes how there is no warmth, not in the air nor in the very colors of the landscape.

And to make this trip—Gabriel refuses to call it a vacation—all the more shitty, they had to come by _boat._  Through water littered with huge ass chunks of ice. Gabriel would have happily stayed below deck in the nice climate control but nothing is as creepy as hearing the ice crack and having no visual to make sure the ship is fine.

So this moment after Gabriel downed his coffee, he armored up with sunglasses and enough layers to make himself feel like a marshmallow and made his way to the front of the ship. (Bow? Starboard? Something like that.) Gabriel will never forgive Jack for the godawful puns he made when he gave Gabriel the thermal underwear—longjohns, according to Jack—as a peace offering over this ‘vacation’ but damn these things are a lifesaver.

“There you are!”

Think of the devil...

Gabriel turns away from the railing, face to face with Jack.

Have Jack’s eyes always been that eerie shade? Gabriel shivers. Jack’s eyes are striking but Gabriel has never quite placed the color before this trip, before seeing the strange neon blue of where iceberg meet water.

“You playing Titanic all on your lonesome?” Jack looks disturbingly comfortable in his open jacket. His hands and head are bare, and only the wispy cloud of frozen breath betrays the temperature.

Gabriel squints and it takes him a moment to place the reference. A cheesy remake of some old movie, remade in an attempt to mimic the original’s popularity. “Do you have to say that? The Titanic sunk.”

“Relax, the Titanic sank in the northern Atlantic.”

“It doesn’t matter because I’m not sure if you noticed, but there is a fuckton of ice out here.”

“We’re on an ice-breaking vessel with the best equipment you can buy—and trust me on that one, that budget was a killer to pass.” Jack snorts and shrugs off this jacket, revealing his favorite tight undershirt. “You would think in this day and age we wouldn’t have issues getting funding for climate research.”

“Wasn’t hubris a theme of that movie?”

“What is it you like to say, babe? ‘No such thing as good luck, just good genetics,’ and this ship has the tech equivalent of great genes,” Jack says. “It’s too early in the day for you to be going all English Major—”

“Minor,” Gabriel corrects though he really did deserve the double major, except for a stupid change of requirements in his senior year.

“—on me anyways. And if you want to tell Torb you think a ship he had a hand in designing would sink so soon after making him redesign your shotguns _again._ ”

Gabriel crosses his arms. “They needed tweaking.”

“You didn’t have to call them useless pieces of shit.”

“I didn’t say it like that!”

Jack raises his hands in surrender. “That’s what I could make out from his ranting. Most Swedish I know is swears and well…I know you, you could have phrased it better.”

“Is this ‘vacation,’” Gabriel gestures towards the ice all around them. “Some sort of twisted punishment?”

Jack laughs. “No, it’s mostly work...well, _working vacation_ but I haven’t been back in a long time, you know?”

Gabriel knows Jack is built for this weather—complains often enough that he has ice in his veins, especially his _feet_ —but it’s easy to forget that his farmboy wasn’t actually born in a cornfield in Indiana. “This home for you?”

“Not like the farm. Just a month or two most years, though on the other side of Antartica. Shit, one year we stayed longer that summer break and Dad had to make all these excuses to the school but Mom really doesn’t understand things like calendars.”

Hard to picture, when calendars and schedules rule Jack’s—their—lives. “Must be nice.”

Jack hums an agreement. “Hey,” Jack says and shoves a bag at him. “Hold this for a moment.”

The bag is surprisingly heavy.

“Not a bellhop,” Gabriel grumbles and opens up the drawstring.

The fur gleams silver in the cold sunlight. Even with his gloves on, Gabriel swears he can feel warmth. “Shit, you seriously brought _this_?”

“Hmm?” Jack pauses in taking off his boots, unconcerned.

Gabriel carefully supports the bag with both hands. He’s never felt comfortable touching this or even knowing which false-bottom drawer Jack keeps it in their quarters.

Jack never says anything about it, never tries to keep Gabriel away from his sealskin. But Gabriel read the tales, knows how Jack carefully keeps the sealskin from others—not even telling _Ana_ —remembers the sudden coldness and threat from Morrison Senior when he realized Gabe _knew_ about Jack.

Whatever exactly is in Gabriel’s hands is more than Jack’s life.

Which, considering its importance and Jack’s sudden desire to be barefoot in the Antarctic, Gabriel feels a sudden wave of dread. “What are you doing?”

Jack smiles. There’s a certain sharpness to his teeth that makes his grin less innocent.

Not that Gabriel _needs_ a supernatural tell to know his husband is bullshitting him.

“Don’t do anything stupid.” The moment he finishes speaking, Gabriel knows his words sound too much like a challenge. “Jack—”

The smile turns into a more mischievous grin that sends his heart racing—and only in part because his gorgeous husband starts pulling off his pants.

Gabriel knows that specific expression, the one paparazzi never gets to see, the one that is the only warning before Jack throws all of Gabriel’s plans and contingencies out the window.

“Whatever this is, _no._ ”

Jack strips off his shirt, revealing more bare skin.

“Jack!”

“I have spent two days on a boat, Gabe. I’ve been itching to go for a swim. How could I look at all this and not?” Jack looks past him, a strange longing on his face.

“Ah-huh. Looks like you were planning all along,” Gabriel says, hefting the sealskin up. Fuck, he can’t really bring himself to say _no_. Not to this. Selkies kept from the sea do not return.  He takes a deep breath and reminds himself that he’s never kept Jack from his sealskin, that Jack has no reason to leave for good. Gabriel hates this fear that always creeps up when they are on the edge of water; Jack has always chosen the human world, chosen _Gabriel_. This isn’t like the stories. Gabriel doesn't try to keep him from the sea and Jack always comes back to him. “Can’t this wait until we have landed?”

“You mean when all the scientists are around instead of half-asleep and huddled around the coffee pot?” Jack raises an eyebrow and seriously, how can the man manage to look so judgemental just in his underwear?

“There has to be a better time,” Gabriel says, even as he is at a loss. Once they hit land, it’s another hour by snowcat to the Ecopoint. They could try to sneak out at night but that’s more complicated when the Ecopoints aren’t on an Athena-based system. If he (or, by extension, Jack) gets caught sneaking out by _scientists_ , McCree will never let him lives this down.

Jack might be right about timing.

“I hate you.”

“You love me,” Jack says, taking off his underwear.

“Not today.”

Jack snorts and slips off this last item—his wedding ring. “Keep an eye on this for me, babe? It’s pretty important.”

With a sigh, Gabriel hands over the bag and takes off his gloves. He takes Jack’s ring, slipping it on, right above his own wedding band.

“And how am I supposed to explain a pile of your clothes?” Gabriel inclines his head towards the cabin door.

“Like you’re a stranger to making up bullshit, Mr. Secret Agent Man.”

“I should tell them the truth, that the Strike Commander is crazy and decided to go skinny dipping.”

Jack cocks his head to the side. “Does it count as skinny dipping if I have my sealskin?”

“It does when you’re standing bare ass in this weather with your clothes scattered.”

The temperature all day has been just below freezing, even as Gabriel switched between Celsius and Fahrenheit on his phone, desperately hoping if he clicked enough times, he’d see a temperature increase on at least _one_ scale.

And here Jack stands on the deck, naked and smiling like they are all on some nude beach under _tropical_ sunshine rather than in the shadow of icebergs.

Gabriel feels cold seep through all his layers from just looking at Jack.

“That’s what the bag is for.”

“What?”

“The clothes,” Jack says and pulls his sealskin out of the bag. He drapes it over his shoulders and stuffs his actual clothing items into the bag. “I thought this out, Gabe.”

“Maybe _this_ time.” Because Gabriel will never forget the near heart attacks he’s had when Jack couldn’t resist a dip and got spotted by rookie agents in Gibraltar.

Or that time with locals in Dorado.

Or tourists in Ilios.

“Don’t give me that look, I’ve kept this a secret for decades.” Jack flaps the sealskin.

Gabriel gives him a long look. “Jack, I found out the first time I took you to a beach.”

“Extenuating circumstances,” Jack says even as he blushes. He’s only a little embarrassed, because the flush doesn’t go further than his cheeks. “I only brought my skin to make sure I still could—after SEP. And I was planning to tell you.”

The thought that Jack intended to tell him _hey I’m not human_ is strangely warming, even if he can see how that would go massively wrong. Gabriel could have done without learning about the selkie thing in the middle of mermaid attempting to drown him in an attpemt to ‘rescue’ Jack but Gabriel can’t say he would have believed Jack if he had tried to explain with words.

“You better not get us caught,” Gabriel says.

Jack leans in for a kiss. “Don’t worry so much.”

“I will when you give me less to worry about.” Gabriel pushes him away. “Go already before someone comes looking for you.”

Jack gives him one last smile before he jumps over the side, sealskin clutched tightly. Gabriel winces at the splash and looks around.

No one is close enough to hear the sound, thank god.

He peers over the railing, waiting for the Jack to emerge.

A grey head pops out of the water, followed by a long shadow underneath.

Jack is nothing like his distant cousins in California. The brown sea lions look someone rounded edges off a dog while Jack’s elongated, grey form gives off an aura of _menacing_ rather than annoying yet cute.

The seal—Jack—opens his mouth and makes a friendly trilling sound that seems at odds with the rows of sharp teeth.

“Yeah, yeah. Go for your swim.” Gabriel crosses his arms. “Be quick about it.”

Jack flaps a flipper towards his face and only familiarity with human Jack’s gestures allows Gabriel to interpret it as a salute because that doesn’t quite get the point across in seal form. Gabriel laughs and shoes him away.

He watches the water, long after Jack’s form slips from beyond view.

A sudden loud sound like car horns going through a shredder has Gabriel reaching for his sidearm, cursing himself for having only that and a pair of boot knives. (They weren’t supposed to bring any weapon on this trips—some bullshit about sending a wrong message during peacetimes—but Gabriel took permission from the way Jack rolled his eyes behind the UN aide.)

Holy shit.

Are those _penguins_?

Gabriel leans on the railing, eager to get a view of those small black and white forms in the distance. He can’t see them well yet, but the ship is heading in their direction.

And then the realization washes over him.

Gabriel keeps track of selkie folktales and seal facts, gleaning for context for Jack’s weird shit. One particular factoid usually amuses Gabriel greatly with how well Jack embodies it suddenly hits him with horror: Leopard seals eat practically anything.

_Anything._

“Jack,” Gabriel hisses over the side of the railing. He can’t see the long shape in the creepy blue water but he doesn’t think Jack went too far. He hopes.  “Don’t you fucking dare eat the penguins.”

Jack pops up to the surface again, this time in human face.

Gabriel shivers. He knows it’s different for Jack, in seal or human skin but the sight of him in the Antarctic water makes him feel cold. Well, colder, because he’s been freezing his balls off this entire trip while his husband prances around like a kid at Disneyland.

“What?” Jack asks, his voice sounding even rougher than usual, more a bark than a human sound.

Louder, just barely, Gabriel growls out. “No penguins.”

Jack blinks. “They’re just birds, Gabe. Like chicken.”

Gabriel desperately tries not to think of Mr. Shuffles, the stuffed animal he treasured as a kid before he surrendered the penguin to one of his little cousins before leaving for basic.

“Pretty sure there’s laws against eating endangered species.” Gabriel leans against the rail, cold despite the layers between him and the metal. “This ain’t a chicken coop, farmboy.”

“I’d like to see someone try to arrest a seal,” Jack says, sharp teeth gleaming.

“Pretty sure it’s called a _net._ ”

Jack laughs loudly the deep sound echoing over the water.

Gabriel glances over his shoulder. The scientists must be still below, maybe taking their time to caffeinate in the warmth mess deck like any sane human being.

Any sane _being_.

And instead Gabriel is out here—during the first vacation they’ve shared in years—standing watch while his husband splash around ice.

Gabriel usually thinks of himself as comfortable with Jack’s weirdness but this?

Icebergs?

Potential penguin massacres?

Fuck, nothing in the selkie stories he’s read prepared him for this shit.

“Jack.” He doesn’t want to say _please_ but goddamn he can picture Mr. Shuffles beady eyes, can remembering hugging the stuffed animal close as his tía told him all about the penguins at the wildlife sanctuary she worked at.

“Fine. But you owe me.” Jack pauses, considering. “Like good sushi.”

“Deal.” Gabriel says quickly and manages to hold the relieved sigh in until after Jack dives back under the water.

He makes the mistake of leaning too far down, bare forehead touching the cold metal. Gabriel jumps up, cursing Jack under his breath.

“Commander Reyes,” A soft voice calls out from behind him. “Are you okay?”

Gabriel glances at the water—Jack’s nowhere to be seen—and turns to see the concerned face of Dr. Zhou.

Shit.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to say this is done ~~but there is a slight chance for a chapter two. I have an idea of how Gabriel would get the last laugh in it but I'm still not sure about it.~~
> 
>  
> 
> ~~There is also a chance a series might bloom out of this. I'm not good at reining in my plotbunnies.~~
> 
>  
> 
> Wanna talk about selkies? Hit me up on [my writing tumblr](https://waywardmusingswrites.tumblr.com/) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/wwmusing)!


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